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1 UJosefa wahamba wayatshela uFaro wathi, “Ubaba labafowethu, kanye lemihlambi yabo yezimvu lenkomo, kanye lakho konke abalakho sebefikile bevela elizweni laseKhenani, okwamanje sebeseGosheni.” 2 Wakhetha abafowabo abahlanu wabethula kuFaro.
3 UFaro wababuza abafowabo laba wathi, “Umsebenzi wenu ngowani na?”
Baphendula uFaro bathi, “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi, njengalokho ababeyikho okhokho bethu.” 4 Babuya bathi kuye, “Size ukuzohlala lapha okwesikhathi esithile, ngoba indlala inkulu kakhulu eKhenani, njalo lemihlambi yezinceku zakho kayilamadlelo. Manje-ke sicela ukuthi uvumele izinceku zakho zakhe eGosheni.”
5 UFaro wathi kuJosefa, “Uyihlo labafowenu beze kuwe, 6 lelizwe laseGibhithe uyalibona; hlalisa uyihlo labafowenu endaweni enhle kakhulu yelizwe. Wothi bahlale eGosheni. Njalo nxa bekhona abanye babo abalolwazi oluqakathekileyo, kabakhangele imihlambi yami.”
7 Ngakho uJosefa waseletha uyise uJakhobe wamethula kuFaro. UJakhobe esembusisile uFaro, 8 uFaro wambuza wathi, “Usumdala kangakanani na?”
9 UJakhobe wathi kuFaro, “Iminyaka yokuhamba kwami ilikhulu lamatshumi amathathu. Iminyaka yami ibimilutshwana njalo ibinzima, njalo kayifiki iminyaka yokuhamba kwabokhokho bami.” 10 UJakhobe wasembusisa uFaro, uFaro wasesuka kuye.
11 Ngakho uJosefa wasehlalisa uyise labafowabo eGibhithe, wabapha indawo enhle kulazo zonke elizweni, esiqintini saseRamesesi, njengokulaya kukaFaro. 12 UJosefa waphinda wapha uyise labafowabo kanye lendlu yonke kayise ukudla, kusiya ngobunengi babantwababo.
UJosefa Ukhangelana Lendlala
13 Kwakungelakudla elizweni lonke ngoba indlala yayibhahile; iGibhithe leKhenani womabili amazwe esevuthuzekile ngenxa yendlala. 14 UJosefa wayiqoqa yonke imali eyayitholakala eGibhithe laseKhenani eyayingeyokuthenga amabele, wayiletha esigodlweni sikaFaro. 15 Kwathi imali yabantu baseGibhithe labaseKhenani isiphelile, abaseGibhithe bonke beza kuJosefa bathi, “Siphe ukudla. Singafelani kambe phambi kwamehlo akho? Imali yethu isiphelile.”
16 UJosefa wathi, “Lethani izifuyo zenu. Ngizalithengisela ukudla libhadale ngezifuyo zenu, njengoba imali yenu isiphelile.” 17 Ngakho basebeletha izifuyo zabo kuJosefa, wabapha ukudla bebhadala ngamabhiza abo, lezimvu kanye lembuzi zabo, lenkomo kanye labobabhemi babo. Wabaphutshisa lowomnyaka ngokudla bekubhadala ngezifuyo zabo.
18 Lowomnyaka usuphelile, beza kuye ngomnyaka olandelayo bathi, “Ngeke sayifihlela inkosi yethu ukuthi njengoba imali yethu isiphelile, ikanti lezifuyo zethu ngezakho, kakusekho okusayisalele inkosi yethu ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu leziqinti zethu kuphela. 19 Kambe sesingaze sife nje usikhangele, thina kanye lelizwe lethu lalo? Sithenge kanye lelizwe lethu usiphe ukudla, kuzakuthi thina kanye lelizwe lethu sibe sebugqilini kuFaro. Siphe inhlanyelo ukuze siphile, singafi, njalo ukuze ilizwe lingabi yinkangala.”
20 Ngakho-ke uJosefa waselithengela uFaro lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe. AmaGibhithe wonke athengisa amasimu awo ngoba indlala yayisiwabhahele okubi. Ilizwe laselisiba ngelikaFaro, 21 uJosefa wasebagqilaza abantu, kusukela ngapha kwelizwe laseGibhithe kusiya ngale kwalo. 22 Kodwa kayithenganga indawo yabaphristi, ngoba babephiwa isabelo nguFaro, yikho babelakho ukudla okwaneleyo kusuka kuFaro. Yikho bengawuthengisanga owabo umhlaba.
23 UJosefa wathi ebantwini, “Njengoba sengilithengile lina lomhlaba wenu lamuhla ukuba libe ngabakaFaro, nansi inhlanyelo ukuze lihlanyele emhlabathini. 24 Kodwa nxa amabele eseqoqwa phanini okobuhlanu bawo kuFaro. Ezinye izingxenye ezine kwezinhlanu lizigcinele inhlanyelo yamasimu njalo kube yikudla kwenu, lemizi yenu kanye labantwabenu.”
25 Bathi, “Uzisindisile impilo zethu. Sengathi singathola umusa enkosini yethu; sizakuba yizigqili kuFaro.”
26 Kunjalo uJosefa wakumisa kwaba ngumthetho eGibhithe mayelana lomhlaba, okulokhu kulandelwa lalamuhla, ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kokuhlanu ngekaFaro. Kwakungumhlaba wabaphristi kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro.
27 Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bazinza eGibhithe esigodini saseGosheni. Bazuza izifuyo ezinengi khona njalo bazalana kakhulu banda ngobunengi.
28 UJakhobe wahlala eGibhithe okweminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, iminyaka yokuphila kwakhe yaba likhulu lamatshumi amane lesikhombisa. 29 Kwathi isikhathi sesisondele ukuba u-Israyeli afe, wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa wathi kuyo, “Uba ngifumene umusa kuwe, beka isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethangazi lami uthembise ukuthi uzangenzela umusa lokuthembeka. Ungangingcwabi eGibhithe, 30 kodwa nxa sengiphumule labokhokho bami, ungithwale ngisuke eGibhithe uyongimbela lapho abalele khona.”
Wathi, “Ngizakwenza njengoba usitsho.”
31 Wathi, “Funga kimi.” Ngakho uJosefa wafunga kuye, u-Israyeli wasekhothamela emakhanda ombheda wakhe.